The No-Fun Curse
by AcaWiedersehen
Summary: I can never have fun. It's, like, some unsaid rule of the universe... If I get an A on a Test, I get an F on a Paper. I laugh? I fall down the stairs. It's always been this way, and it sucks balls. [A car-crash pulls two unsuspecting dorks together. AU. BeChloe.]
1. Oops?

**Disclaimer:** I in no way own Pitch Perfect, nor do I own its characters. But I will own Brittany Snow.

-.-.-

 _Been there, done that, messed around_

 _I'm having fun, don't put me down_

 _I'll never let you sweep me off my feet_

-.-.-

I can never have fun.

It's, like, some unsaid rule of the universe: Beca Mitchell may never have fun without a coincidence.

If I laugh, I end up falling down the stairs. If I get an A, I get an F on something else.

It's always been this way… And it sucks balls.

If this is due to karma, then karma can kiss my ass. Seriously, go home. You're drunk. It's not supposed to be like this. _You're_ not supposed to be like this.

My teeth lock as everything slows; the yelling of the girl in front of me, along with the blinking lights of her now beat-up car.

Why can't I live?

I looked down at my radio for two _damn_ seconds while singing and actually enjoying myself for once, and the next moment the front end of my car is flush with the back end of blondie's.

"Sorry," I finally gather enough courage to step out of my shitty little pontiac, "I… I'll help pay for any damages I caused."

"Damn right you will!" The blonde turned to the front of her car and shot an exasperated look towards the passenger seat, "Chlo, give me a minute."

I only heard silence, but apparently the blonde had heard something different. In no time at all, she was in my face, pointing fingers and calling me names. A shiver ran down my spine as sirens sounded in the distance; drowning out the obnoxious voice of the blonde. Time ticked by as dread welled up inside me, but not due to the girl. It was from the impending doom of whatever was coming.

"I'm sorry," I repeated over and over again, each time more earnestly than the last. Maybe if I faked sincerity she would ease up? "I know, it was all on me…" Over and over again I said these things, trying to shut the damned blonde up.

And then suddenly everything stopped.

An unfamiliar redhead popped out from the side of the white Buick, holding her right arm with her left hand.

"Bree?" A pause. Our eyes met. She looked away. "Hey, Aubrey." Her voice was fluid, calm, but demanding all at the same time. In a word, perfect.

Aubrey turned her seething glare away from me and onto her friend.

"What?"

As soon as her eyes landed upon her friend, Aubrey visibly softened and mumbled a quick, "oh, no..."

Whatever sympathy she was eyeing the ginger up with wasn't shared with me, however. Soon her daggers returned, and I found myself being backed against my car door.

"You are screwed," she hissed.

Instantly after, a suspecting police car rolled up next to us.

 _Shit._

The sirens went silent, and my father stepped out.

"Officer Mitchell," he introduced to Aubrey, pulling out his notepad as he did so. "What happened?"

Aubrey jabbed an accusing scrawny index finger towards me with one hand propped on her hip. "I was coming to a stop at this stop sign, and Alt Girl over here ran into me."

"Alt Girl?" My brows furrowed in both annoyance and confusion.

"I think she may have broken my friend's arm too."

I winced. I broke her friend's arm? Shit. Again.

The ginger opened her mouth to say something in response, but then decided to close it and keep quiet. While the girls were beginning to calm, I could see my dad practically fuming. It was obvious that he was ignoring me, but he could only do so for so long…

With a fire in his eyes, he turned to me.

"Beca? Would you like to make a statement?" The blonde seemed surprised that the "man" knew my name, but remained silent. She probably assumed i was some well-known felon, or something.

"I glanced at my radio for a few seconds, and before I knew it my car was smashed into hers. I don't really have an excuse…" Before I could say any more, my father shut his notepad and continued with helping us exchange insurance information. I would have to pay for damages of both car and body, unfortunately… But, thank god, the ginger (who I found out was named Chloe) didn't feel the need to sue me for the accident.

"Stuff happens," she reassured; clearly more calm than her friend.

As she gave me a weak smile, Chloe strolled over to my dad. He had offered to give her a lift to the hospital- opposed to having her pay for a trip in the ambulance. I'm sure he did it as a silent "thanks" for not going after me, but I couldn't be too sure.

In the end, Aubrey (the bitch) drove away with promises from me to fix her bumper. I, however, had the privilege of getting towed by a disgusting and possibly dangerous towtruck.

See what happens when I try to have a little fun?

My fingers absently began to play with a sheet of paper Aubrey and Chloe had given to me; on it were scribbles of their phone numbers and names. It was probably given to me so that we could set up an appointment or something, but I really just wanted to throw it out.

As my eyes fell upon the slip, I could feel my gaze accidentally stick on Chloe's name and number. I felt tempted to do something with it… Whether it be put it in my phone, or call right now to see if I had really broken her. I came so close to doing this, too, but I eventually realized just how creepy that would be.

Wait.

No.

Walking into the hospital would be creepy. Calling her… Not so much. Right?

My fingers timidly grabbed at my phone and punched in her number. Was this a good idea? I gulped and hit the green "call" button. Two rings later, a slightly familiar "hello?" sounded on her end of the line.

"Um, hi." I gulped, "this is Beca."

"Beca? Beca…" Her voice grew quiet as she attempted to remember who I was. Suddenly, she got it.

"Oh, Beca! How did you-" She paused, "oh, right! We gave our numbers. Right. Got it. Yeah, hi, what's up?" Her tone was oddly chipper despite the fact that I was the one to break her arm.

"I was just wondering if everything is okay? Your arm, I mean." I drew my eyebrows together in self-confusion and self-scolding.

I could practically hear the smile in her voice, "It's actually not a big deal. Just a tiny crack; something that will heal in a few weeks."

"Really?" I breathed a sigh of relief, "I was worried they'd have to amputate it, or something." Even I could tell how uncharacteristically friendly I was being. Maybe it was just out of fear?

She giggled on her side, clearly amused by my thoughts. "Nope, I get to keep it another day. Until you crash into us again, that is."

My face fell at her words, even though I could tell that they weren't serious. "I'm really sorry," I found myself saying again.

"Don't worry about it, seriously. Like I said, accidents happen."

I fell quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "Is there anything I can do? To make myself feel better, at least?"

A small breath of air rasped the speakers on my phone, indicating Chloe's actions on her side. "There's this doughnut shop down the street from my campus. Buy me a coffee and doughnut, and we'll call it even?"

My heart was pumping so loud in my chest that I almost didn't hear the end of her proposition. Was she asking me to hang out? Me, the girl that had just stupidly crashed into her friend's car? Me, a girl she didn't even know through a _positive_ experience?

"Oh, uh, yeah." I nodded vigorously, even though she wouldn't be able to see. "When would you like to meet up?"

A soft hum came from her end. "How about tomorrow morning, eight o'clock?"

"Sounds good to me. What is the place called?"

"Uh… Bellas, I think? It's located by the Barden Campus. You can't miss it."

"Alright. Tomorrow at eight…"

"Tomorrow at eight," she repeated. The words rolled off her tongue like it was a prayer.

"... Talk to you later?" My hands began to fidget at my sides.

"Yep, see you soon. Bye."

As we hung up, I released a breath of air I had been keeping at bay for the entirety of our conversation. The words "thanks for giving me a chance" lingered on my tongue, unsaid.

-.-.-

"Woah," my feet caught on the leg of a table, nearly sending me to the ground. As I began to regain my balance a bell of a laugh sounded in front of me. Chloe. "Yikes, that would have been bad," I breathed, taking a seat in front of her.

"But admittedly funny to watch!" She beamed- clearly amused.

A light smile flicked across my features. I wasn't really the humorous type, nor was I ever around humorous people… But this was a welcome change. "Hey," I finally greeted.

"Hey," she returned. The way her light pink lips moved entranced me; they flexed with a sort of deft fluidity that I had rarely witnessed and was admittedly jealous of. My mouth always felt too big, not simple and perfect like hers. Just from the way she _spoke_ it was obvious that she knew everything going on in her head- Like she already had everything planned out. My eyes slightly scanned her person, looking for any other things I hadn't caught during our previous 'meeting' the day before. (AKA, the moment where I broke her arm.)

Speaking of, there it was. Her cast. Light blue and covering the length of her arm, untouched. There was not a single symbol drawn on it... Unlike what you'd see in elementary school, back when everyone felt the odd urge to graffiti a piece of plaster that was latched onto your body. Above it was the sleeve of her geometric blue and green blouse, _trendy_ , and her wavy red hair- per the norm, from what i've seen so far. "Thanks for coming."

I offered a small shrug and smile, "thanks for having me."

She returned my thanks with a grin, pure in nature.

"So, drink and doughnut, right?" My eyes flicked to the side of our wooden table, over to the counter where a whiteboard holding all names of drinks and food were held.

Her glossed lips pursed, "well, now that you're actually here, it feels a little strange forcing you to buy me food."

"Then think of it as a gift. A voluntary purchase."

Chloe's smile reappeared at this. "In that case, a medium craving please. And a vanilla long john with sprinkles."

My eyebrows lifted slightly as I stood and prepared to get our things. A craving and vanilla long john… They seemed oddly fitting for the perky ginger.

As I neared the counter, the cashier/barista shot me a goofy grin. His eyes twinkled and everything about him radiated "charming". _Jesse_ , his name tag spelled out.

"Hello, what can I help you with?"

I meekly returned the smile, now uncomfortable with the sudden attention from both areas in front and behind me. "A Medium Craving, A small Hot Chocolate, and two doughnuts."

Jesse punched these items into the cash register and moved over to the doughnut case, "which ones would you like?"

"Um… This one," I pointed at a glazed Devil's Food Cake ring, "and that one." My finger lifted to the top of the case, focusing on the sprinkled long john Chloe had asked for.

Jesse retrieved them both in a pinch and gently placed them into a bag. "Is that all?"

I nodded slowly as he handed me the bag.

"Six dollars, exactly."

With a quick smile I reached into my bag, pulled out my wallet, and handed him exact change.

Jesse placed the cash into the cash register with a quick "thanks," and began making our drinks. "So," he started while his back was turned, "do you go to Barden?"

"Unfortunately," I breathed.

" _Unfortunately_?!" There was lightly humored exasperation in his voice. "Barden may be a as close as you can get to literal garbage, but it's not _that_ bad."

"So you think?"

"So I _know_. You remember high school, right? _THAT_ was an unfortunate experience." He turned to me and placed my hot chocolate on the counter. "... I'm guessing you're a freshman?" He pulled out a sharpie and began writing on my cup. "I'm a sophomore, so I at least have a little knowledge on the happenings in Barden." Jesse turned the cup over so that his number was facing me. "If you have any questions, feel free to call." With one more smile, he began finishing Chloe's drink. Whom, at some point, hovered over next to my side.

"I'm a Senior, so I definitely have some knowledge, too." Her pointed gaze moved from Jesse (who's back was still turned) to me, where it morphed and became kind. "But you're a freshman? Why haven't I met you yet?"

I offered a shrug, "I mean, we're only a week in, so…"

Chloe nodded thoughtfully at this. "Are you staying in the dorms?"

"No, I'm staying at home until I can figure something out. Are you?"

"Yep."

Jesse turned around and handed Chloe her drink. "There you go, girls."

Chloe and I both murmured a quick "thank you" before making our way back to our seats.

"And your dad…"

My eyes widened as I nearly bobbed over in my seat, "what about my dad?"

"He's the chief, right?"

I guess it was only natural that she found out. Trying to calm myself, I opened our bag of doughnuts and handed them out accordingly. "Yeah, much to my annoyance."

Chloe's lips twitched. Had I humored her?

"Sorry if he caused you an awkward car ride," I started while taking a quick bite of my doughnut. Damn, it was good.

"No, don't be. It wasn't awkward at all. He was sweet."

"Sweet?" My scoff nearly blew bits of the treat out of my mouth. _Yikes._ "That's funny. Usually he's kind of an ass…" Disgust laced my words like venom on a spear.

Chloe took a bite of her doughnut, and a sip of her drink. "Oh, Beca…" That was the first time I had ever heard her say my name. And, god, I loved the sound. "... All parents come off as assholes to their kids." And now _that_ was the first time I had heard her swear. It was kind of scary, actually.

I nodded and shrugged. She was right.

The rest of our little meeting went on like that; slight chatting and occasional bantering… It was all so strange. We talked like we had known each other for weeks. "I have a feeling we'll be fast friends," she breathed at one point. I couldn't do much but agree with her.

"So there's this party tonight," she began, "a group of friends are throwing a party. Would you be interested?"

My eyes opened in surprise at the invitation. It literally came out of nowhere.

"Tonight?"

She nodded, hopeful.

"Oh, yeah, um…" My brows drew together in thought. "I think I'm free. What time?"

"Any time after sundown."

I nodded, "where is it?"

The redhead pointed to the left, away from the Barden Campus. "Two blocks down, turn left, all the way to the end of the road, and you're there."

"Yeah, I think I'll be there."

"You're not grounded?"

I laughed for the first time in long time. "No, luckily not. Thanks to you."

Apparently, at some in time during their car ride yesterday Chloe had managed to convince my dad that what happened was not a big deal. Just like she had told me, "accidents happen". (...And she may have said something about how crappy a driver Aubrey is.)

"It was just part of our conversation," she promised. "I totes didn't go out of my way to keep you out of trouble." She winked and I grinned.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jesse reappeared with a wet rag and squirt bottle. "Did I hear something about a party?"

Chloe pursed her lips.

"It's Posen's, right?" He winked, "I'll see you there."

Posen… Posen… Why was that name familiar?

With that said and done, Jesse walked away and completed his job elsewhere.

Chloe sat, watching both Jesse and I as he sauntered away. "So, Jesse, huh?" She leaned back into her booth. "He's a nice guy. Cute. Do you like him?"

I nearly choked on my Hot Chocolate… Again. "Jesse? I just met him. Besides, I'm not into the whole romance thing."

The ginger shot me a teasing grin and leaned forward, "no-romance Beca, huh?"

I cocked a brow and shook my head, "nope. Or yep, depending on how I'm supposed to answer that."

"We'll break you," Chloe promised. "College is your chance to experiment. Have fun, try things." She sighed, "I'm a senior and I haven't even kissed a girl yet."

Was that a pass?

Seriously, was that a pass?

"Oh, that's…" I could feel myself heating up with embarrassment, "that sucks?"

She poked at her fingernails and nodded slowly in agreement.

A few seconds of awkward silence passed between the two of us… And then I realized, "wait. Posen?" My drink nearly toppled off of the table top, "she's the witch that I ran into yesterday!"

"Yep, that's her." Chloe seemed unfazed by my insult.

"Would I even be welcome there?"

"I'm inviting you. Of course you're welcome."

"She'll probably poison my drink."

"What? Aubrey? No… Doing that one time was enough for her."

My hands fell into my lap as my jaw fell slack. "You can't be serious."

Her melodic laugh echoed through the Donut Shop, "I'm just kidding. Don't worry. If I tell her you're a good egg, she'll believe me."

-.-.-

Unfortunately, Chloe was wrong.

Close to being right, but so wrong.

Music vibrated through hidden speakers around the house, reverberating off of the walls in crazy ways I didn't know were possible. _Oh, music. It's a beautiful thing._ Chloe was at my side, watching me as I maneuvered my way through the crowd. For some godforsaken reason we were hunting for the preppy blonde that I had (quite literally) run into the day before.

"I know she's around here somewhere…" I could hear the ginger murmur. Chloe's piercing blue gaze skimmed every corner of every room in hopes of finding her friend. Finally, a head of blonde hair was noticed through an open window. Aubrey, most likely. ...So Chloe and I made our way outside and into the area of the Hostess.

"Bree?" Chloe's tone was surprisingly calm despite the ruckus of the party around her. "I brought a friend…"

Aubrey's attention left the girl in front of her and flew to her best friend… And then me.

"You brought _her_?" The blonde motioned her hand (along with red solo cup) forward. By the look on her face and tone of her words it was pretty obvious that she didn't approve in Chloe's 'friend choice'. "A girl we don't even know. Have reasons not to trust…" She lowered her cup and glared at her friend. "You just brought her over to my house?"

Her words stung, I won't lie. It kinda felt like a slap to the face, in all honesty… But I sucked it up. I took her words. Well, for the time being.

"I've been hanging out with her all day. Trust me, she doesn't mean any harm." Chloe gripped my shoulder with her only movable hand and ushered me forward. "Her name is Beca Mitchell, and it turns out she's actually a freshman at Barden!"

Aubrey's lips pursed as she gave me a look-over. Was she honestly listening to what her friend was saying? Was she going to give me a chance? "A freshman, huh?" Her whole demeanor visibly relaxed. "Alright. I'll consider that accident your Freshman Fuck-Up."

Wait- did this mean…?

"I'm going to go get another drink. Chloe?" Her attention flicked up to the redhead, "wanna come along?"

Just as the question exited Aubrey's lips, a familiar boy came bounding up to my side. "Eyyy," He greeted, "It's Hot Chocolate girl!"

I turned my attention back to Aubrey and Chloe, "I don't know him."

"Yeah you do," He gave a curt nod before looking at Aubrey, "she knows me."

"No I don't."

Aubrey gently grasped Chloe's free arm and gave a slight tug, "well, you two can figure it out as Chlo and I get a drink. Kay?"

Chloe shot me an exasperated look before following her friend across the patio and into the house.

"You know me," Jesse repeated. "Donut Shop. Love at first sight, remember?"

Though I found his words oddly quirky, I gave the raven haired boy the blankest expression I could muster.

"You're right. That donut was pretty damn attractive. If anything, love at first sight is an understatement."

He beamed at this. "Can I get you a drink? You've gotta try this out. Get on this level."

A drink? Drinking was not my thing, never had been, never will be. But… I _was_ at a college party, and it would keep the flirtatious boy away from me for a little while. "Sure," I ended up accepting. "Just don't get lost on the way there. I don't feel like coming to rescue you from the attic later on."

"Why the attic?"

"Not as suspicious as the toilet."

Jesse shrugged and grinned before walking away to get me a drink. It was at this time that I finally took a chance to examine my surroundings. Aubrey's house was pretty big for the location, new, white… They had perfectly trimmed grass… The Tiki Torches were a nice touch, for sure. Oh, and a rather sketchy looking in-ground pool. Fall in Atlanta had caused for a few leaves and grasses to fall into its waters, tainting the water with a slight green color. Like I said; sketchy.

"Beca!" Wavy red hair came fluttering over to my side, attached to Chloe of course. "This ginger had to get her jiggle-juice." Her rear end shook a little as she said so, "have you had any drinks yet?"

I shook my head slowly and held up my open hands. "Jesse's on it."

The ginger mouthed a small "oh", like he had forgotten he was here and hastily handed me her yellow cup. "Have a sip. It's Bumper's Punch."

"Bumper?"

"Drink now, ask later." She waved me forward, "go on! Go on!"

Shooting her one last look of confusion, I tilted both my head and the drink back. The cool contents burned sweetly down my throat, warming me up from the inside out. After another sip I handed the cup back. "I want to say it tastes like shit, but it's actually not bad."

"Oh, it's bad. Just not in the way you're thinking. Two cups of this could knock out an MMA Champ, i'm sure." She took a sip from where I had previously placed my lips.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Maybe."

"Chloe Beale," I teased, "I've only known you for a day."

A wicked grin sprouted from her features at once. "A day is all I need."

Before I could either retort or give in, Jesse came waltzing up to my side with two red cups in hand. "Here you go, Hot Chocolate."

I opened my mouth to correct him, but Chloe beat me to it. "It's Beca."

"Oh, right, sorry… Beca." He gave me a wink and Chloe took a sip of her drink.

With a small nod, I took one of the offered cups and poured some of its contents into me.

This was going to be an interesting night.

-.-.-

"... And so Dove Poop ended up _everywhere_. It was crazy."

The way Jesse told his story was absolutely enticing. He spoke with such passion that I couldn't help but feel like I was being pulled into the tale. "Dude!" I gave him a small nudge, "Benji sounds like a chill guy."

"Yeah?" Jesse laughed along, "well, I guess he is."

My smile matched his, and in that moment I realized I had made another new friend.

"Alright, Beca," Chloe grabbed my sleeve and gave a slight pull, "let's go somewhere else. Meet new people." Aubrey's eyes barely even skimmed Jesse, and the only look she spared was one of annoyance. I noticed this and immediately felt bad for him… He wasn't doing anything wrong.

"What is your problem?" I demanded, more to Aubrey than Chloe. "Both of you?"

Aubrey's eyes narrowed at me, annoyed by sudden outburst and 'disrespect', and her lips curled into a slight and sarcastic smile. "Excuse you, Beca. We're just trying to look out for you." I let Chloe drag me away from Jesse. "He's a treblemaker."

My gaze flew over to Jesse, and then back to them. "Jesse? I hate to shit on your obvious mistake, but he's anything but."

Chloe knit her brows and pursed her lips in confusion. Aubrey understood what I had misinterpreted, "not trouble maker. Treblemaker."

"Treble Maker?" Now I was confused.

"The Treblemakers are a band," Aubrey offered. "... And by the looks of it, you have a crush on him."

"Me?" I scoffed, "I do not."

Aubrey was practically fuming at my rejection. She totally didn't believe me, and while I admittedly thought he was cute I didn't- wouldn't want to date him.

Chloe fell silent at my side and I could feel her fingers start to slowly uncurl from my sleeve. Had I somehow managed to hurt her feelings? I directed my attention towards the ginger, "Chloe, you were there when I said I didn't like him. Can't you vouch for me?" The hurt that had started to accumulate in her eyes dissipated at once.

"I don't know how you feel Beca, but I'll take your word for it." Chloe looked at Aubrey, "It's none of our business anyways."

"Uh, yes it is. No Treblemakers are allowed near us, Chlo. And I'm sorry, but if she's at my party she's going to follow my rules."

Something within me snapped. Who the hell does she think she is? "Well," I started, "then I guess I'm going to leave your party." The words came out without my control. I'm sure it was the drink talking, but I couldn't care less at that point. "I'll text you, Jesse." My steel grey eyes latched onto Chloe's piercing blue gaze. The ginger shot me a look of exasperation. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Beca," she began- but I was already half way across the lawn. Why is everything so much more dramatic when you're drunk?

In no time at all, I was home and on my bed. Chloe had never come after me, though I'm sure that I had heard her and Aubrey arguing over the music of "Rollercoaster".

My fingers weakly swiped across the screen of my iPhone, checking for any new messages. None, yet. With a sigh, I grabbed my MacBook and put on my headphones. Might as well make something to pass the time. With timid fingers, I opened up GarageBand.

-.-.-

"Really, Bree?" Saying that I was 'pissed' was an understatement. I had personally told my friend not to screw things up… And five minutes later, that's what she did. "I had everything _planned_ out-"

"- and Jesse was going to mess it up." She cut me off before I could even start my rant.

Smart girl.

I narrowed my eyes.

"She said she didn't like Jesse. The least we could do was respect that."

Aubrey sighed and rolled her eyes, not willing to admit her mistakes. This had always been a fault of hers… She assumed that she was perfect. And when she proved to be anything less, she would mentally beat herself up for it. I personally found myself blaming her dad, but Aubrey has always said that 'it's just who she is'.

I crossed my arms and stared her down. She didn't budge. Snapping a little, I outstretched my hands and wove them, as if I was trying to fan the shitty experience away from me. "This. Is." I paused and methodically broke into a singing tone, "A TRAVESTY."

"Well, can't you go after her? Say sorry on my behalf, if you have to. Though I'm really not sorry." The end of her sentence dropped into a hushed tone. Even though Aubrey wouldn't admit it aloud, I could tell she was beginning to feel a little ashamed of her actions.

"I would if I could," I exclaimed, "but I have no idea where she is!"

Aubrey cocked a brow. "You don't know where she lives? Her dorm area, at least?"

My hands aggressively slid down my cheeks. She really didn't get it, did she? "No! She doesn't even live in a dorm!"

My (admittedly idiotic) friend mouthed a small "oh" and nodded, slowly. "Well, that _is_ a problem."

"Yeah?" My voice cracked, "no shit it's a problem! I don't even know when I'll see her again! _If_ I'll see her again! And if I do, she'll probably run away!"

"Woah, Chlo." Aubrey's perfect hands laid themselves upon my shoulders in a comforting manner. "Turn down the dramatics a notch, okay?" As much as it hurt to admit, she was right. I was freaking out a little too much over this. When I finally calmed myself down (with some help from Aubrey's chilling gaze), I began to think. We had spent the whole day together. Surely there were some hints dropped in places I-

I paused. I had her phone number. How the hell had I forgotten?

My hands timidly searched the pockets of my black skinny jeans for my iPhone. Maybe a text would be okay?

"Shitballs," I murmured. "I can't… Oh, there it is." I tugged my phone out of my back pocket and unlocked the screen. "A text wouldn't be too weird, would it be?"

"No."

I sighed and quickly typed something out on my virtual keypad; rewriting and re-reading it several times over in the process.

[Chlo] [Hey Beca. Are you alright?}

A minute of awkward pacing and throwing scowls at Aubrey passed before I received a response.

{ Hey. Yeah, I'm Fine.] [Becs]

{ Your friend is kind of a douche, though.] [Becs]

Well, she wasn't wrong.

[Chlo] [I know, I'm sorry. She just gets a little weird when it comes to the Treblemakers.}

{ A little? ] [Becs]

I had to grin at this.

[Chlo] [ Okay, a lot. }

[Chlo] [ Are you doing anything now? }

{ No. Just computer stuff. I'm not coming back there to apologize, I hope you know. ] [Becs]

[Chlo] [ I don't blame you. But actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to do something else? }

[Chlo] [ Just you and me. }

Part of me said, "I hope she isn't getting the wrong idea." But the other part said, "I hope she is… Because it's the right idea." Everything was so confusing and conflicting, it was bothersome to say the least. Why were crushes so difficult?

Did I really just admit that to myself?

I had a crush on a freshman?

… Oh, god. I was screwed.

{ Sure. As long as it's just you and me. ] [Becs]

[Chlo] [ Pinky promise. }

{ Okay. Where to? ] [Becs]

[Chlo] [ Meet me at the front entrance of Barden. }

-.-.-

 _Yeah, slow down I don't want to stop now_

 _What's the point of falling if we don't hit ground_

 _But every single breath is another chance I get to be close to you_

 _To be close to you_

-.-.-

Words melodically drifted from my headphones to my ears, easily adding to my building excitement. Each pulse sent a rush of adrenaline through me. Though it was a claim often made by many, I'll say it: _Music is my life_. I wouldn't be able to breathe without the stuff. So, yes, even when I had a quick five-minute walk to Barden I found it necessary to plug in my headphones and turn on my playlist.

Seriously, why not?

" _I guess it's just you and me for now_ ," the words exited my lips with ease, low and practically inaudible to even myself. " _Against the world, against the world…_ " My lips sealed shut as Barden's front doors came into view. I suddenly felt extremely self conscious and out of place… Sure, people hum in public, but sing? I'm not fucking _Ariel_.

With a small sigh I paused my music and moved my headphones from my ears to their spot around my neck. Chloe Beale was dead ahead, or so I hoped. I could make out the faint outline of her figure- which I'm surprised I could already pinpoint- and approached.

"Beca!" Her tone was light and airy, much like it had been at the party hours before. "I'm happy you're here!"

And _you're_ drunk. "Of course," I managed with a small (and slightly wistful) smile. "I told you I would come, didn't I?" I took the chance to get a good look at her. She looked the same as when I left; comfortable and wavy, if that was even a term. The only difference with her looks was what she was holding: two cups and a small pitcher.

Oh, no.

Chloe beamed, "you sure did." Her dazzling blue eyes captured and held my gaze for a moment before they fell to her objects in-hand. "I brought something for us to enjoy. But there's a place I want to enjoy it."

"I hope you realize I'm underage, and if we go anywhere we're not supposed to-"

"Don't worry, your dad won't catch us." A wink, "I promise."

I shakily took in a breath of air before letting it out. It wasn't my dad I was afraid of, I now realized. It was her. And to be honest, I didn't know why. She didn't scare me… If anything, the opposite. Maybe that was it? Maybe that was the source of the fear? I felt oddly open with her, she seemed trustworthy… And that was different. I don't _do_ different. "Alright," I murmured; giving in, no matter what the voice inside my head advised. "Let's go."

The ginger did a little hop and walked out to the bushes at the side of Barden U's sidewalk. "Follow me," she whispered- bending her knees so that she may appear less 'there'.

With a roll of my eyes, I followed suit.

"So, where are you taking me?"

I could hear whatever liquid she had in her pitcher slosh around. "Somewhere secret."

Wherever it was, she wasn't letting me know any time soon. I had a hint, though.

You see- Barden University is one of those "we try to look rich and proper, but are actually dirt-cheap and literal shit" schools. They make a show of aesthetics so that they might attract a wider variety of students. A smarter, more professional variety. (Like Aubrey, to be honest.) But to the point, Barden has these little areas where the campus, admittedly, looks really nice. ...And one of these spots is a little labyrinth-maze-thing. Which, by the looks of it, was where we were heading.

A left here, right there, too and fro, over the river and through the woods, and bam. We were there- just as I had expected. The entrance of large bushes sat before us, dark and unyielding to those who wish to cheat within the maze.

A little disturbed, I found myself asking "are we really going to do this?"

Chloe grinned and handed me a yellow cup. With a small and quick movement my glass was filled in a way that mirrored her own: to the brim. "We sure are."

Although I hated to admit it, I was actually amused by all of this. We were honestly about to get drunk in a maze… and it was _nothing_ but a bad idea. How could it possibly be a good idea, right? "Okay," I hummed while taking a sip (Bumper's Punch, should've known…), "let's do this."

With that, we were off. Chloe walked partially to my side and partially in front of me due to the cramped walls, but I didn't mind. There were times our hands would touch and I would retract away all awkward-like, but it was nice regardless. She didn't mind how strange and awkward I was, so the least I could do was play along with her little display of companionship and acceptance.

"Mmm, was the quickest way a left here? Or straight?" I could hear her murmuring soft thoughts to herself about directions, so I took my chance and walked ahead of her.

"Here. Let the girl with the internal radar show you how it's done." Either her friendliness was affecting me, or the drink was beginning to kick in. Chloe laughed and I looked back at her in confusion. What had I said that was so funny?

"Radar?" She cheekily shoulder-bumped me, "what are you trying to do? Search for my battleship?"

Oh. "I meant compass," I huffed.

"Of course you did."

"I did!"

"I know. That's why I said ' _of course you did_ '."

Whether or not I was actually embarrassed is still unknown to me, but at the time the whole conversation quickly became (for lack of a better word) painful. It grew painfully silent. Painfully awkward… And It all did so _really_ fast.

Chloe, however, quickly noticed this and tried her best to fix it. She was good at that.

"So, Beca," She began. "What do you do for fun?"

I took another swig of my rather-shitty alcohol and flipped around to face her. Walking backwards made me look cool, right? "For fun? Well, I tend to snort cocaine and drown kittens, for starters."

Chloe's reaction quickly went from being unbelievably disturbed and concerned to amused. "Oh, really? Like, lines of cocaine? Or just a little?"

"Lines. Go big or go home."

Chloe nodded once and tried to bite back her grin. "Atta girl. I can roll with that."

"I also have my own prostitution ring."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. But you gotta get 'em young…" I stumbled over a small rock as we turned left, "it makes them more compliant."

"But of course."

I nodded once and watched her take a drink. I quickly mirrored her movements.

"But, really though. What does the mysterious Beca Mitchell like to do in her spare time?" I could tell that Chloe was now 110% curious and serious.

"I make mashups."

"With music?"

I had to bite back a sarcastic response. She was being nice, the least I could do was give her a decent answer for once. "Yep. Popular songs, not popular…" I shuddered, "just not country."

"You don't like country?"

"It depends. As long as it has the right beat…"

Chloe extended her cup for mine to tap. Without so much as a split-second of hesitation, I touched her cup with my own. "True that," she hummed while taking a sip. "I'll admit that I love me my country, though sometimes it's not the best."

"Dude. They're all, like, about the same thing."

"Girls and whiskey," we both exclaimed in unison.

 _Country, you shitty genre, you._

As Chloe and I shared a smile, we failed to realize that we had reached our destination: the center of Barden. Well, the center of our maze.

Chloe sat upon the stone bench in the middle of the small clearing. There were some flowers sprinkled here and there, but other than that there was nothing special. Typical Barden work.

"Come on," she beckoned. With a shifty grin and drunken saunter, I sat next to the beautiful girl. "Ready for more?" Chloe poured some of her pitcher's contents into my cup before I could even respond. Immediately after she did the same to her own. "Isn't this nice?" Her blue eyes vanished as she closed them and leaned back into the night air. "Not too hot, not too cold… Quiet, calm... " I had to agree. There was nothing wrong with the weather, and the maze was helping me feel protected from the (real) outside world.

It was all so calming.

I took a drink and tossed my own head back. "Thanks for dragging me here, Chloe."

Her grin was practically audible. "It was my pleasure, Beca."

As I finished the contents of my cup and Chloe hers, we found ourselves becoming more and more loopy as the seconds ticked by. It was then, a little too late, that I remembered something she had previously said. A few cups of this punch could " _knock out_ an MMA Champ".

We had drank/drunk a few cups.

"Are we even going to be sober enough to leave this damn maze?"

Chloe hummed and shook her head with a laugh, "probably not." Her voice fell as she added, "this was a bad idea."

Even though I felt I should be upset, I was entertained. "Drunk, broken, and lost in a maze. You're a hot mess, aren't you?"

"I blame everything on you."

"The only thing _I_ did was break your arm. Everything else is on your head."

She grinned and leaned forward, matching her gaze with my own. "Everything?"

"Everything."

She leaned towards me a little, invading the 'personal bubble' I was usually strict about. _Usually_. Tonight I honestly couldn't care less. "And I'm guessing that means everything else that is going to happen is my fault, too. Am I right?"

My eyebrows knit together in both confusion and amusement, "I guess. Sure, yeah. It's all on you, so don't fuck anything up?"

Chloe nodded solemnly. "You don't seem too sure of that accusation."

"Because you're confusing me."

"How?"

"I don't know… I'm drunk."

She laughed that laugh of hers again. The laugh that sent shivers down my spine the first time, and now continues to do so the third. "Me too."

 _No shit, Sherlock._ I grinned.

Before I could say my thoughts aloud, I was silenced.

Not by words, not by the environment or anything like that… But by actions. Chloe's actions, to be more precise.

Her lips were on mine, careful and gentle. Quiet. Smooth.

...And then gone.

"Sorry," she whispered while pulling away. "It's-"

Without giving the ginger a chance to create an excuse, I leaned forward and captured her lips with my own once more. The warmth she had given me from the first kiss was unlike anything I had ever felt before… And I wanted to feel it some more.

Blame it on the liquid courage, or whatever, but I wasn't giving her up that quickly.

The kisses quickly became sloppy and heated, and all of this pent-up emotion I didn't know I had came pouring out. She was cute, sweet… And while I had the chance to kiss her, I was going to take it.

Unfortunately, everything died down the moment we broke apart for air. We decided that our actions were probably due to Bumper's Killer Punch, and if not they would be examined at a later date and time.

"Sorry," I offered, just as she had previously.

"Don't be," she replied; voice hoarse. "But to be fair, I told you I would only need a day."

In that moment I thanked the night sky for being dark; the last thing I wanted was for her to see how flustered she had gotten me. "Weirdo."

-.-.-

 **AN:** Finally compiled my chapters in a smoother way. I hope there are no complaints? The only glitch I encountered was deletion of all spacing. Oh, well! Please review if you wouldn't mind! Love you guys!


	2. What The Shitballs Just Happened?

**Disclaimer:** Oh, poop. I still don't own either...

-.-.-

 _This nightmare keeps repeating_

 _We'll never get to the end_

 _Of this fire we're feeding_

 _The hottest love has the coldest end._

-.-.-

When I woke up I noticed two things:

The bed I was laying on was not my own.

The person next to me was not someone from my family.

It was none other than Chloe Beale; clad in the same blouse and skinny jeans she had worn yesterday, along with her unruly mop of red hair. The fact that our clothes were still on was a good sign, as was the distance that had been kept between us during the night.

Memories of _last night_ came flooding back.

...The drunken phone call to my dad where I had to play sober in fear of being caught, the explanation of how I was sleeping over at "my new friend Chloe's house", and our amazement when he had actually believed it. After that came the awkward getting drunk and stuck in the maze, and our even more drunk walk back towards Chloe's dorms. Her roommate- Barb, I think- had began sprouting off (boring) memories of her own drunken adventures as Chloe and I began to drift asleep. "Bologna Barb," I had heard her refer to herself as _several_ times during the story… All in disgust, of course. And it wasn't a mystery why.

And now here we were.

My eyes flicked across Chloe's still body, eventually landing upon her pale blue cast. The car crash, I remembered. It was a taxing and annoying accident at the time, but seeing how it had evolved into a whole new relationship and set of friendships was awe-inspiring. As if on cue, my phone dinged- signaling a newly received message. **Jesse** , my phone read. **One New Message**. I swiped my finger across the screen just as Chloe began to stir- undoubtedly due to the strange ruckus I was making.

"Mmm?" Bleary icy-blue eyes began scanning me, examining me. "Beca?" She seemed utterly confused, but then suddenly, "oh, right. Got it." The ginger offered me a weak thumbs-up, "glad to see you didn't try pulling a one-night-stand."

"Me? No, never." I shot her a crooked grin and turned my attention back to my phone.

{ Hey there, Hot Chocolate. You awake?] [Jesse]

[Beca] [ Hey, shittiest employee in the world. I am now. What's up? }

"Who're you texting?" Chloe's rough voice broke the silence… It was obvious she was a little distraught.

"Just that Donut Shop guy, Jesse. He's just making sure I'm alive."

Red hair bobbed solemnly as Chloe sat up and stretched. "Well, make sure you tell him that you're alive and kickin'." She paused a moment before adding, "literally." The cheeky grin that appeared on her features nearly killed me.

"Oh, no. I didn't kick you as I slept, did I?" My phone dinged but I payed it no mind.

"I was hoping to get closer to you during the night, but I bet you can tell that didn't happen. If that's any clue." Chloe jumped to her feet and did a little dance; readjusting herself from the night of taxing restlessness.

Despite Chloe's obvious annoyance with the situation, I felt amused. Close to laughter, even. Chloe? Trying to cuddle with _me_? "You're a dork," I offered up warmly. The iPhone at my side made one of it's reminder _ding_ s.

{ Just wondering if you're up to grab a bite at Bella's? ] [Jesse]

I glanced at Chloe who, in turn, eyed me up as well. Her whole face looked tired and meek… And in the oddest way, it was adorable.

[Beca] [ Sure. But can I bring a friend? }

{ It better not be Posen. ] [Jesse]

I laughed, and I could tell that Chloe was becoming a little annoyed. Jealous, much? (Though it was honestly the most endearing thing ever…)

[Beca] [ Definitely not. }

{ Sure thing, then. ] [Jesse]

"Alright. You up for donuts and coffee again?" I stood, locked my phone, and shoved it into my back pocket.

Pale lips pursed and ginger brows fell together as Chloe looked at me quizzically, "again?"

"Again," I repeated. "Possibly for free, this time."

Chloe perked considerably at this. "In that case…" Her stoic gaze softened as she shot me a smile, "absolutely." A few seconds of dead air passed between us as we thought about what to do next. "Should we change?" Chloe looked to the few punch stains that littered her blouse and gave it a good sniff. "Shirts, at least?"

"Sure. I don't have-"

"I've got you covered," she hummed with a wink. Not giving me a chance to retort, Chloe was off in search of new clothes for the both of us. I took the time to quick make her bed and put my hair into a messy bun. As I did both of these things I finally got a good look at her living space. Everything about it screamed _Chloe Beale_ … From the brightly decorated (forcibly white) walls, to the endless display of perfumes and makeup on her dresser top. The thing that took me by surprise, however, was a small ukulele she had sitting in the corner.

"Here you go! I grabbed some new shorts, too. I couldn't stand to stay in the same jeans, so I figured you didn't feel comfortable either." The redhead shot me a cheeky grin as she tossed over a pair of black and white-trimmed athletic shorts and a plain black tee. She, herself, was outfitted in something more comfortable: an oversized green Barden University tee, and black leggings. Both outfits were perfect for the lazy early-morning hours.

I murmured a quick "thanks" before shuffling out of her room and into the bathroom, where I changed into the clothes she had given me. I won't lie- I felt a little strange dressing in the clothes of some girl I barely knew. But for some unknown reason, I did it anyways. Chloe was displaying an act of kindness, and (as I had promised before) I would not reject it. Two minutes of awkward scuttling and tripping passed before I was back in her room, by her side. "Ready."

"You look adorable," she mused, either in a flirting manner or a kind one- I couldn't tell.

"Well, I mean, they're just athletic clothes, so…"

"But I haven't seen you in anything that hasn't been… Like Aubrey says, Alternative."

"Uh, okay? Sorry?" How was I supposed to respond to that?

Now everything felt all awkward.

Chloe waved me off with a small laugh, "sorry, I know. Ignore me. It's too early for this. Let's just get some coffee and wake up, kay?"

"Kay," I repeated.

As we exited Chloe's dorm, we said 'bye' to Barb- whom was unfortunately wearing a rather see-through white tank-top at the time. Why she never seemed to wear a bra was beyond me.

"So, what else is going on in the mind of Beca Mitchell?"

My gaze lifted from the shabby sidewalk to Chloe's bright and expecting face. "That I haven't told you yet?" She nodded. "Not much." She frowned.

"Not much? Come on, you can't be _that_ lacking of character."

"Oh, but I am. Don't underestimate me, Chloe Beale." I waited a few seconds before asking, "what about you? You always are curious about me, but I feel like I don't know as much about you."

She hummed thoughtfully at this. "Well, I was born and raised here in Barden. Dad's a lawyer, Mom is gone…"

"I'm so sorry," I interrupted.

Chloe laughed, "... Gone, on a business trip to France."

My mouth formed a small, "oh".

"She's a product manager."

"For what?"

"If I told you, you would never look at me the same way again."

"I'm willing to take that chance."

"I'm not. Anyways, other than that I'm an only child."

"Is your college practically paid for?"

"It is. Mom and dad say if I wanted to go for three more years, I totes could."

"Seven years? That's a little much, dude."

Chloe laughed, "I'm not going to. I just _could_." She lightly bumped into my shoulder, "I _could_ go to school with you until you graduate. Not going to, but I _could._ "

"Yikes," I teasingly hiss- earning another laugh from the ginger.

I don't know when it happened, but at some point Chloe and I had reached to entrance to the Donut Shop. Where, much to her annoyance, Jesse was waiting.

"Hey girls!" His small wave was used to beckon us in. "Welcome back. One donut, one drink, each of you, on the house."

"Trying to get to us through our stomachs, aren't you?" I wink, "Mr. Shitty Employee."

Jesse feigned hurt. "Me? Never. I'm just being a gentleman, is all."

"Do you treat all of your customers this way?"

Now Jesse winked, "only the pretty ones."

I rolled my eyes and Chloe audibly scoffed. As if Jesse had just noticed her presence, Jesse greeted her with as much kindness he could muster. Sure, the boy was dense… But not dense enough to know how much Chloe didn't trust him. He probably figured it was due to the whole "Treblemakers" thing, but I knew it was more than that. More than Chloe was letting on.

"Same as yesterday?" Chloe and I both took a spot by the window, which was located to the left of Jesse's work area. Our booth from yesterday had been taken over by some teen boy on his crappy little notebook, so we didn't have any better or more familiar spots to take residence in. Besides, the new spot was more close-knit than the booth. More personal. (Which I personally felt was gross, but I could tell that it was Chloe's sort of thing.)

In no time at all, Jesse had our drinks and donuts in front of us. "So. Plans for today. Have any?"

I pursed my lips and prepared to reply with a "no", but it turned out Chloe had a different idea. Or, in this case, a few different _ideas_.

"Well," she began, "I wanted to show Beca around Barden a little. Show her the secret nooks and crannies most people don't know about until Junior Year." A year above Jesse… Huh, suspicious. "After that, I was thinking about showing her a few nice _shopping_ areas," she drawed out 'shopping' a little more than necessary.

"Oh, well that sounds like fun. I work until three, so if you have some open slots let me know." Jesse offered me one of his charming smiles.

"Sure thing," I promised. As he began to walk away to take a lady's order, I accusingly turned towards Chloe. "What is up with you?"

She shrugged, "nothing. Why?"

"You're being all weird whenever Jesse is near." I gave her a second to register my words. "Are you jealous?"

In that moment, I swear that Chloe's perfect crystal-blue eyes popped out of her head. "Me, jealous?" Her words were suspiciously loud. Way to make a scene, red.

Without meaning to, I shot her a dangerous looking scowl. "Yes, you. Jealous."

"I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous?"

"Dude. You're _literally_ doing the stereotypical reflection thing that chicks do when they're jealous."

She hesitated. I got her. "I am _NOT_. Jealous."

"Whatever you say, Beale." I quirked my head and took a sip of my Hot Chocolate.

"I am _so_ not jealous."

I pursed my lips and nodded slowly, "I know. You keep saying it." I gave her a quick smirk, "besides. There's no reason to be jealous."

She perked up slightly at this, raising a brow in curiosity. "Oh?"

"But you're not jealous. So there's no reason to explain why."

There was no better way to describe the look she gave me than by saying that she looked _done_. She honestly shot me one of those, "seriously?" looks that you see in movies, or in arguments with your best friend.

She was jealous.

"This is some darn good Hot Chocolate, Jesse. Thanks!" I winked at Chloe and threw my head back into Jesse's direction.

"Oh! You're welcome. Glad you like it."

-.-.-

 _Don't speak as I try to leave 'cause we both know what we'll choose_

 _If you pull then I'll push too deep and I'll fall right back to you_

 _'Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need_

 _Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why..._

-.-.-

Surprisingly, Chloe was true to her word. The plans she had picked for today were the ones she had told Jesse. Whether or not those plans were created at that very moment or she had put thought behind them, I don't know. Either way we were spending a good portion of our late morning hours touring the hidden gems of Barden University.

"This is where Timmy the Torturer was buried," Chloe whispered. Though one of her arms were broken, she still made a point to make hand gestures that went along with her story. They were awkward and choppy, but cute nonetheless. Seriously, if I had to sum Chloe Beale up in one word, it'd be ' _cute_ '. If you would've seen her, you would have understood what I meant completely. "...Rumor has it that the teacher who had buried his remains actually didn't bury 'remains' at all... He buried Timmy alive."

"No," I gasped- amazed and taken aback by Chloe's brutal story.

The ginger gave me one of her confident little tight-lipped smirks and nodded. "Yep."

"Where are his remains _now_?" I could feel how slack-jawed I had become during the story. It was embarrassing, really, but at the time I didn't care. Chloe had my full attention, and she was damned good at keeping it.

"At Holy Angels cemetery, down the road. They couldn't keep them here for," air quotes, " _obvious reasons._ "

"Damn."

"And that's not even the best part!" Her pristine blue eyes flashed. "Supposedly, this whole area is haunted. It all started when they disturbed Timmy's grave. There have been occurrences ever since."

"Dude, are you serious?"

"Dixie Chick serious."

I nearly cringed at that one. The Dixie Chicks were great to listen to when I was, like, five... But not cool to reference now. Maybe if you were born a few years sooner, Chlo. Maybe then. "Have you ever experienced anything?"

Chloe visibly stiffened. I couldn't tell why, though. It didn't seem like she was disturbed by the question, nor did it seem like she was put-off. It was like she honestly had drawn a huge blank. Ever so slightly, a small look of disappointment flashed across her features. "No," she managed. "I haven't even come out here during the night." Oh. Maybe that was the reason behind her disappointed gaze? Maybe she had felt somewhat cheated because she never had that experience? I know I would.

"Before this school year ends, let's come by and see what happens." I hesitated before adding, "at night, though."

Chloe's pale lips parted to create a sheepish smile. I think she was pleased with that idea.

"Sounds like fun," she promised. "Halloween is coming up. Around then?"

Gross, Halloween. "Sounds more fitting than Christmas. So, sure."

I had never been rewarded for speaking before. Especially from saying something that was as blunt and rude as what I had said right then. However, the smile Chloe gave me was the closest damn thing to a reward I had ever gotten. What the hell was up with this chick?

Fucking Cinnamon Roll.

I'm sure Chloe could sense my distraught feelings and demeanor because as soon as I thought up my insult she bashfully turned around and switched topics. She didn't want to make me uncomfortable or hurt my feelings. Well, at least that's what I thought.

"Mmm… This is where most study groups gather in the spring. It's quiet then. Well, quieter."

"Nice."

"Over here is our little Barden Fountain," Chloe motioned to a little granite sculpture with her one working hand. "It's only on in the warmer months. Though, to be honest, it could go year round. Goes to show you how cheap we are here!" The ginger released a small laugh. Cute.

"Pretty cheap," I repeated- beginning to zone out.

"And over here… Is the spot of the 2001 fire. A chemistry group thought it would be a good idea to find the flash-point of isopropyl alcohol."

"Idiots," I breathed.

"And over here is the first tree Johnny Appleseed ever planted."

"Delicious." I paused, "wait, what?"

Chloe turned around, nearly blinding me with a snarky smile of hers. "Kidding. Just trying to see if you were paying attention." Her lips quickly moved into a purse as she stopped all other movement. "... Which you weren't, really. Were you?"

"I was."

"How much?"

"Like, 42 percent."

Chloe sighed and sauntered up to my side. "If this Barden Expedition is boring you, just let me know. Okay?"

"It's not," I offered meekly, "I've just got a lot of thoughts running through my head."

"I see," it was obvious she didn't want to press further. A few more seconds of silence passed between the two of us before Chloe spoke up again. "How about we just skip right to shopping then?"

Shopping. Right. Yikes.

Her tastes and my tastes, if it wasn't super obvious yet, were complete opposites. She wore blouses, rompers and dresses while I wore tank-tops and flannels. A shopping trip, in my opinion, would probably be anything but fun. She would probably drag me from store to shitty store, prompting me to dress like a doll from her childhood.

Here's the thing: I'm not a doll. And to be honest, I absolutely loathe trying on new clothes. I sighed, audibly. At this, her determined expression faltered.

Shit.

I don't want to try on new (and possibly expensive) clothing… But I also didn't want to break her heart. Not to mention, we had literally spent a whole three days together non-stop. Normally this would be a blessing, but when you're sexually confused the whole time it's a curse.

I kind of just wanted to leave her be for a little while and rest.

Her icy blue eyes bore into my dull grey ones. She was expecting a positive answer, for sure.

"Is there any way I can take a rain-check?"

I said it. Holy shit, I actually managed to say it. I said it, and then I regretted it. She looked broken instantly, and it honestly hurt to know that I was the reason why.

… A diluted smile flicked onto her features. "A rain check? Uh, yeah. Sure."

"I'm sorry," I began. My hands flew up in front of me in a defensive manner, signifying my obvious discomfort in our situation. "... Like I said, I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"No, no, don't be sorry. I get it. Don't worry." The little broken laugh Chloe released at that moment was heart-wrenching. "Some other time, then."

I nodded once. "Yeah."

Her lips pressed together to form a thin line. She probably thought she did something wrong. She was probably trying to figure out how to fix it.

In our short few days together, I noticed that she did that a lot. She always tried to fix things. She always tried to please everyone. Oh, god… Why? Why did she have to be like that? It was so endearing that it physically hurt.

"... Don't worry, I'm not dissing you for Jesse."

The small smile that appeared on her features was almost enough to make everything okay again. _Almost._ "You better not be," she teased, "I might have to break his guitar if he's the culprit for my broken heart."

These words caused a strange feeling to settle both upon and in my person. Had she just admitted that she actually had feelings towards me? Or was she joking? So many questions… So much confusion… She's too much, man.

But it was bitter-sweet pain.

I stuck out my tongue and wiggled my eyebrows.

"You're such a dork," she gushed- seemingly over her somber emotions. "You're lucky I gave you another chance."

"Mmm, but that second chance has cost _quite_ a bit, Ms. Beale."

She reached up and pushed my shoulder, "quiet, you."

Our mouths both closed and failed to open for several seconds. Neither of us had much more to say. "Um," I began, "I'm gonna go now." I pointed to the general direction of my house. "But I'll text you when I get home. I'll wash these clothes and give them back the next time I see you."

 _The next time I see you…_ Who knows when that'll be?

"Sounds good." Her voice was low, quiet. Distraught. "I'll see ya later?"

"Yeah," I nodded and gave her a small smile, "see you later."

-.-.-

She was leaving and it killed me. Why was she going away? What had I done wrong? Did I scare her away?

"Wait, Beca…" I jogged up to her side and grabbed at her (petite, oh so petite) wrist. The eyes she turned around and gave me made my heart melt. I could feel a shiver run up my spine, either from her gaze or the fact that I didn't know why I had stopped her. "Wait," I repeated.

"Yeah?" Her tone came out like honey; slow, sweet, and precious.

"I, um…" I couldn't look her in the eyes. My gaze fell, and I suddenly felt both ashamed and embarrassed. "Listen." I could hear her snarky thoughts of "I am" in her head. They were left unsaid, of course… But I'm positive they were there. "I think I might… Possibly… Like you?"

Feelings were usually something I was confident about. A few years ago I went up to my ex, Tom, and straight-up told him about all of the things we could try together. I asked him out in an even more direct way, as well. (If you catch my drift.)

I looked up and met Beca's gaze once again. She looked confused, to say the least. Hell, maybe even disturbed. "Like me?" The muscles in her wrist shifted as her fingers innocently began wiggling in the nothingness of the space around us.

"Yeah. And, it's weird, but I've never felt this way towards a girl before. I'm sorry," I cringed. There I go, apologizing again. "-I'm sorry, but I'm kind of curious as to where this could go. That is, if you feel the same way?" Beca gave me a look that shouted 'broken'.

"I don't know how I feel Chloe," she offered up honestly. A pang of hurt shot up my chest, what the hell did that mean? You either felt, or you didn't. Right?

Wrong.

No, I knew what she meant. I just didn't want to accept that. I wanted an answer now, not later.

"That's fine," I rasped. What else was I supposed to say? "I mean, I understand. It's only been, what, three days? I get it." I clearly didn't.

Slowly (and rather pitifully) I released her wrist.

… But what she did next surprised me. Where as the Beca I knew would take her chance to leave, this one stayed. She stayed real close. Like, in my face close.

Our lips were centimeters apart, and her eyes were fixed on mine. "Should I try and figure out how I feel?"

 _Holy shit._ My legs went weak and I almost lost my balance. Her words literally almost knocked me off of my feet. "Please do," I replied airily. Her gaze flicked from my lips to my eyes, quickly, time and time again. With the cheekiest grin I had seen all day, Beca placed her lips on mine- but only for a moment.

"... Yeah."

"Yeah?" My face fell into a frown.

"Yeah, I think I might like you too."

 _...What the shitballs just happened?_

-.-.-

 **AN:** Final piece of the previous fic. New chapter coming soon! Please review! Questions? PM me! :D


	3. Her Shell Will Be Broken

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pitch Perfect, but I own this AU.

-.-.-

 _Everything that I said I'd do_

 _Like make the world brand new_

 _And take the time for you_

 _I just got lost and slept right through the dawn_

 _And the world spins madly on_

-.-.-

After our kiss and my revelation I started ignoring Chloe. Not, like, full-on ignoring... just repetitive refusal to do anything for two days. I prayed that she didn't think it was all her fault, but at the same time I knew those thoughts were playing in her mind.

Did I feel guilty? Absolutely. I felt like a dick. But, I also knew that I couldn't rush into things. We needed space… Or so I told myself. Relationships weren't really my strong-suit (obviously), but I blamed that on my parents. I thought they were happy together, but then one day they both decided it was all a mistake. I was scared that the same thing could happen to Chloe and I.

What if it was just a phase?

With an elongated sigh and quick scratch of my neck, I continued working on my mashup. It wasn't the time to be thinking like this. I had things to do, places to see. (By places I meant my computer screen.) Besides, who needed Chloe and her perfect skin, adorable grins, suggestive winks, admirable fashion choice, and her overall likable demeanor?

Pfft- not me.

Right?

I grit my teeth and nearly fell of of my bed as the iPhone at my side began to buzz.

 _Speak of the devil._

 **{ Hey, Becs! How are you doing?] [Chlo]**

 **{ Miss you! xoxo ] [Chlo]**

I glared at the phone in my hand with the utmost distaste. How long could I ignore her like this? Well, "ignoring" wasn't the right word- but it was close.

I (usually) texted her back, but the answers I gave were occasionally and unbelievably bland. I didn't want her to get the wrong idea...

 **[Beca] [ I'm good, I think. }**

 **[Beca] [ Miss you too }**

It took a few minutes for me to formulate the response I used… In the end I figured it was good enough.

 **{ Are you free and willing to do something for lunch? ] [Chlo]**

My adams apple bobbed and I furrowed my brows. That was the first time she directly asked me to do something since our incident. She would usually text me things like, "are you bored?", so I could get out of them by saying "no"… But this was direct.

Damn.

 **[Beca] [ I don't know… I'm kinda busy… }**

 **{ Busy playing on the computer? ] [Chlo]**

 **{ Come on, Becs. No one is busy on a Tuesday. Unless they have class. Which you don't.] [Chlo]**

I pursed my lips and ignored the nickname.

 **[Beca] [ If anyone was busy, it'd be on a tuesday. }**

 **{ Beca, I swear to god I will knock down the door of your house and drag you with me. ] [Chlo]**

I gulped. Yikes, was she actually pissed? Chloe was backing me against a wall, and I really wasn't sure if I should give in or fight back. My fingers hovered over the keys as I thought of different things I could say. 'You don't know where I live', 'I'm actually busy for once in my life', 'I'm scared'...

The more and more I tried to think of ways to get out of my situation, the more I didn't want to. _The more I felt guilty._

 **{ ?How much are you typing? ] [Chlo]**

Right, the thinking dots… They were probably dancing around on her screen. With a shuddering sigh, I finally thought out my plan of action.

 **[Beca] [Yeah, alright. You win. }**

 **[Beca] [When? Where? }**

Though it was impossible, I could almost hear Chloe's cheers of victory.

 **{ Yay! ] [Chlo]**

I could see them for sure.

 **{ There's this place downtown… ] [Chlo]**

 **[Beca] [ ? }**

-.-.-

"No." I stopped, feet glued to the broken cement sidewalk below, and crossed my arms defiantly. "Dude, I'm not going in there."

A fair of familiar warm hands grasped both of my shoulders and gave me a gentle push. "Come on, Becs! It'll be fun!"

"I am severely underdressed!" As soon as Chloe's hands lifted themselves from my shoulders I turned to face her. My eyes drifted down towards my black boots, dark skinny jeans, and red tank-top as I pulled at my beige cardigan. Chloe's gaze followed my own before she gave me one of her bubbly laughs.

"You're not underdressed, trust me. It's just lunch, not a fancy dinner." The ginger gave me a predatory smile and wink, "... Besides, you look cute."

I managed to hold back a groan, but not my eye-roll. Says she who is wearing an admittedly adorable bow-tie romper. "If I get dirty looks…"

Chloe waved me off and took my hand, "you'll be fine."

A sigh escaped my lips. We were (apparently) headed to Bocado- a very nice restaurant located on the Westside of Atlanta… Which was a good ten minutes drive from campus. I had never been due to the fact that Bocado was usually _very_ busy, and with me not being a people-person I found it highly undesirable.

Until Chloe, that is.

I'll give her a chance.

… Speaking of, I was 99% sure that she was considering this our first date.

Though this was something I was afraid to ask.

If I were to ask her if this what she thought, I'm sure that something screwy would come around. Maybe she'd laugh at me, say it was all just a way to get me out of the house, a way to get me away from my comfort zone. Or maybe she'd say that the pain she was inflicting upon me was the true payback for the whole car incident.

Either way, my luck wasn't good enough where I'd receive a desirable response. So why risk it?

 _Just feign annoyance so that the No-Fun Gods don't screw with anything._

In no time at all we were centered in the entryway of this giant mass of a white building. Everything seemed clean and modern. I liked it.

The big doors made me feel uneasy at first, but then that uneasiness turned into interest. How the hell did they get doors that big? And those decorative beams that were high above the entrance… How did they do that?

Chloe must've noticed my amusement, because she too joined in with my glances of curiosity. Though, her gaze for the most part was on myself rather than the building before us. "Alright, alright. Enough admiring," she giggled. "Let's go in before it closes." With a little tug on my wrist with her one good hand, Chloe managed to quickly drag me inside of the semi-packed restaurant.

From that point we waited, awkwardly chatted with the hostess, glanced around at the clean wooden interior, and then took our seats. It didn't take nearly as long as I had expected, though in the end everything seemed fairly taxing.

My eyes skimmed down my menu as the view of Chloe became obstructed by her own. Every now and then I would glance up and catch her gaze, but just as quickly as our eyes had met they would disappear again. "What do you think you might get?" I heard Chloe ask. Her voice was calm and sweet. If anything, it could be described as ' _honey_ '.

"Um…" My brows drew together and I closed my menu. "I was thinking a simple cheeseburger would be good. I like to go to different places and compare."

Chloe gently leaned the top edge of her menu against the table's surface. "Oh? A cheeseburger, huh… That sounds pretty good. Burgers are their specialty!" We both shared a quick smile. "Which restaurant has the best burger so far?"

I pursed my lips and tapped my chin for this one. I've been around the state and to a few others nearby, but the best burger so far…? "As sad as it sounds, I'd have to say the Cheeseburger from Five Guys."

Chloe must've found this both unbelievable and hilarious because she immediately went from a scoff to laughter. "Five Guys? The Fast-Food Restaurant? _Really?_ "

Despite her obvious disbelief, I nodded and shrugged. "Really really. Their overall service is amazing. Their burgers match."

Sure, it probably sounded pitiful… But It was true.

Chloe's laughter died down as she shook her head solemnly. "If you think Five Guys is the best, then you clearly don't get out much."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes. If you don't think the burgers from here top Five Guys, then I'll have to take you out to a _real_ burger joint." She hesitated. "It'll be, like… A burger education. A burg-e-cation."

"A Burgecation?"

"Yep!"

" 'Sounds like a surgical procedure."

This elicited a laugh from Chloe immediately. She must've agreed, because she didn't say anything against it as the _date_ went on.

-.-.-

"Well, as much as it pains me to say this, the Bocado Cheeseburger was significantly better than the Five Guys Cheeseburger."

Chloe released a little cheer, "yes! Welcome to the Bocado side, girlfriend!"

I grinned and let my fingers run over the cool leather of our bill case. "As thanks, I'm paying."

"What?" A look of confusion and shock crossed her features as she noticed the rectangular holder within my grasp.

She hadn't noticed (much to my pleasure) when our waitress placed it on our table- so I quickly snatched it up while I had the chance.

"When did you-"

Without meaning to, I shot Chloe a confident smile and opened up the tiny book. It was as expensive as most high-end places and would surely put a dent in my wallet, but at that point I didn't care. I was finally enjoying myself, and not even some fund stress could mess that up. (Screw you, "curse".)

"When I was distracting you with my beautiful face," I responded, placing my debit card in the slot as I did so.

"Mmm, that makes sense," Chloe hummed.

My grin returned.

"Wow! Badass Mitchell-" she did a little wiggle as she said this, "-can smile after all!"

"You've seen me smile plenty of times."

"Not sober."

She was right. I nodded and hummed a reply of acceptance, not caring for the waitress that snached up our bill and exited.

"I'll break that little shell of yours, Beca." Chloe's smile never faded- though her eyes shone with a flash of determination. "I swear."

I was both flustered and taken aback by this promise. No one had ever spoken those words to me, either directly or in context. People usually just let me be… Let me be me. Chloe was something else, though. She was different- commited. Straightforward? Determined.

"Okay, Beale." I shot the redhead a small one-sided smile, though on the inside I was falling apart.

...Feelings were _really_ not my forte.

-.-.-

 **AN:** Sorry for the long wait! I've been super busy. Work, family, laziness… It all comes to get you. Anyways! Thanks for reading! If you all haven't noticed, chapters 1-5 were compressed into a new Chapter 1, and chapters 6-7 were tossed into the Chapter 2 document. I didn't like my spreading of chapters, so I just decided to compile them. I like it better this way.

Anyways! I hope you liked it! Sorry I'm leaving off on a short note… As usual, I'm typing at 1:00am and I'm tired… Haha… POOP.

Please review, favorite, and/or follow! You guys are the best! 3


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